10 Days To Get Sasaki To Ask The Pretty Barista Out
by Shinichi's Lover
Summary: The Quinx squad made a bet. Pairing: Mutsurie, Touken.
1. Day 0

"Where's Sassan?" Shirazu asked as he descended the flight of stairs. Urie was sitting on the couch, reading the daily newspaper. His eyes never averted to the new squad leader as he answered his question.

"At :Re." _'Where else could he be?'_

"Again? Damn. He's head over heels for that barista. But I'm not blaming him. She's _very_ pretty."

"Just give up, Shiragin. She belongs to Maman." Saiko interrupted. She actually paid attention despite having the gaming console in her hands.

"Hey, I didn't say I want to ask her out! And she's not Sassan's. Yet."

"Yet?" Mutsuki asked in confusion.

"Can't you see his eyes whenever we're in that café? It's as if he's in a different world. I bet he'll ask her out one day."

"No chance. Rank 1 Sasaki will never ask anyone out." _'He's a freak ghoul and he knows it.'_

"He will! He's just waiting for the right moment!" Shirazu retorted.

"...Wanna bet?"

"Hell yeah!"

Urie put down the newspaper, the content wasn't interesting anymore compared to their current discussion. He leaned back slightly, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Alright. If Rank 1 Sasaki doesn't ask that barista out within 10 days, I'll win 20,000 yen. If he does, you'll win that money. Deal?"

"10 days?! Are you freaking kidding me? I'm gonna lose!"

"Even if we give him one year, he won't even have the balls to do it." _'He's a total coward.'_

"You- You're right. But, I'll prove you wrong! Challenge accepted Urie-kun!"

Urie smirked slightly. _'You'll lose. Thanks for the 20,000 yen.'_

"Who's with me? Oi Saiko, Tooru, are you in?"

Saiko put her hand on her chin, her brow creased in deep concentration.

"Hmm... if he only has 10 days… there are multiple decisions for each day… each decision may lead to the barista hating him more or liking him more… we need to be careful in choosing the options to maintain the relationship level. We need to get the Happy End for Maman."

An awkward silence filled the entire chateau, all the Quinx squad members stared blankly at the NEET.

"Oi Saiko, this is not a game."

"It's a real life dating game! I'm with you, Shiragin. I will make Maman gets his Happy End! Leave it to me!"

"Uhh… okay… Tooru, what about you?"

No one realised the inner conflict Mutsuki was having. He had a crush on Sasaki, choosing to be on Shirazu's side means supporting Sasaki with the whore barista. He couldn't have that.

"I'm- I'm with Urie-kun..." His hand fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

Urie's lips quirked up slightly. _'You've made the right decision, Rank 3 Mutsuki.'_

"So, Saiko and I against you and Tooru huh... when do we start?"

"Let's start tomorrow. It's already night time after all."

"Deal."

Saiko's voice was filled with enthusiasm, she couldn't wait to apply her gaming experience into the real world- especially for the sake of her Maman.

"We will not lose against Uri and Mucchan! Don't worry Shiragin, I'm an expert in this matter. All my MC gets their Happy End."

' _We'll see about that.'_ Urie continued reading the rest of the newspaper with a smug on his face.


	2. Day 1

"Alright! I think our plan is perfect. With this, Maman will get his Happy End!" Saiko said joyfully. They were in the chateau's living room, attentively crafting their mischievous plan to win the bet.

However, Shirazu didn't really contribute to the plan – it was all Saiko's effort, using her experience from playing tons of dating game.

"Are you sure this will work?" His brows furrowed, apparently skeptical of her plan that seemed to work only in fiction, not in real life.

"Yes, it will. You have to trust me, Shiragin. Now I have to buy six amusement park tickets and make it look like I won a contest!" She gave him a thumb's up sign with a huge grin on her face, obviously satisfied with the plan.

"Hold on a second… Why six tickets?"

"Well… Maman, barista-chan, Uri, Mucchan, you, and me."

"Why are you buying for Urie-kun and Tooru? They'll sabotage our plan!" Shirazu really needed that money. Even though 20,000 yen wasn't that much, but any amount of money would help Haru, his sister, to be able to live longer. For that, he had to win this bet.

"I just want all of us to spend more fun times with each other…" Saiko pouted, and Shirazu just sighed looking at her.

"Fine. But there's one thing we need to confirm with the barista."

"And that is…?"

"What if – what if she has a boyfriend?"

Saiko's huge eyes widened as she gasped loudly, Shirazu's question definitely caught her off guard as she was agonizingly shocked. Speechless, even. If the pretty barista had a boyfriend, the bet would be meaningless. Her plan to see her Maman getting his Happy End would be meaningless as well.

"With that beautiful face, she should have one, right? What if – what if she's married to that old geezer in that shop?!" Shirazu's face crumpled in despair as he imagined the situation in his head. _'No, it can't be, right?'_

There was a long silence stretched between them before Saiko realised that he was wrong.

"Calm down, Shiragin! She called him 'nii-san', so it's her brother. Besides, I don't think I've seen any ring on her finger."

"Oh. You're right." He let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding.

"But that doesn't eliminate the possibility of her having a boyfriend… We need to find it out ourselves."

"How?"

"Test her."

"…What?"

"Ask her out, Shiragin."

"HAH?!" He raised his voice at that. His mouth gaped, his face flushed with both surprise and anxiousness – probably with a tint of excitement that he was trying to hide from the NEET.

"If she turns you down, it's either your charming level is low or she already has a boyfriend. If she accepts, it means she's single."

"B- But this is for Sassan, not for me. Besides, what if she accepts? We're gonna lose the bet!"

Saiko's eyebrows wiggled playfully at him and a smirk was plastered on her lips that made him feel perturbed.

"Oi. What's with that expression?"

"If she accepts, it's your chance to date her, Shiragin! You should be happy because you have a crush on her." She winked.

Shirazu blushed even deeper, his whole face was red with embarrassment.

"Hey, I don't have a crush on her! I think she's pretty, that's all!"

"Well, think about it. Do you want your own happiness, or Maman's?" She stared at him intensely as he thought about her question.

"I… I want Sassan to be happy. He has sacrificed a lot for us. It's time for us to repay him."

For a brief moment, Saiko just stared at him – mouth gaped, then she grinned widely as she patted his shoulder.

"I'm so proud of you, Shiragin! Alright, let's stalk her then!"

Startled, he blinked his eyes three times, took some time to process her words then he blinked three times again. Did he hear that correctly?

"Wait, what? Stalk?!"

"We'll stalk her and see if she has a boyfriend."

While the idea sounded so ridiculous and _so_ wrong in his mind, he didn't object it. He would do anything to win the money they were betting on, but it was for his mentor's happiness too, of course.

"Alright. Let's do it. For Sassan's happiness!"

"Yes!"

* * *

"Urie-kun." Mutsuki entered Urie's room later that afternoon, this whole bet thing made him agitated. He needed to ensure that his team would win.

Urie, on the other hand, didn't really care about it. He was working on something on his laptop when Mutsuki entered. He barely greeted him and continued typing on the keyboard.

"What do you want, Rank 3 Mutsuki?" _'Can't you see I'm busy? Leave me alone.'_

"I- I'm just wondering if we have any plans in mind. Saiko-chan and Shirazu-kun are forming a plan between them to win the bet."

 _'What a bunch of idiots.'_ "There's no need for us to do anything. Just leave it be." His eyes were still fixated on the screen, not even bothered to look at Mutsuki in the eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Rank 1 Sasaki is a ghoul _and_ a ghoul investigator. He's aware that he's a monster and has a risky job, he will not date anyone." _'No one wants to date a dumb guy like him anyways.'_

While it was partially true, in Mutsuki's ears – Urie's words sounded harsh, lack of humanity and respect for the mentor he cared deeply for – deeper than he was supposed to.

"Sensei is a human, don't you dare to call him a monster, Urie-kun!" He clenched his fist, tight.

Urie stood up from his chair abruptly – he was staring down at Mutsuki and all of sudden he looked so much taller and intimidating.

"Are you threatening me, Rank 3 Mutsuki? Who do you think you are?" _'You're a useless team member with a pretty face, that's all there is about you.'_

"I-"

"For the time being, concentrate on your kagune. You still can't control them properly, right?" _'Stop wasting your time planning this stupid bet. Be useful for once._ '

He sat down again to continue working on his laptop, implicitly telling him to leave him alone.

"About that..." Mutsuki bit his lower lip. "Please, I need your help." He bowed towards the former squad leader, his eyes shut close. "Teach me how to control my kagune."

* * *

Their first spot to stalk the pretty barista was of course, at the :Re café itself.

But they didn't go in, instead, they hid behind the bush and used binoculars to observe her. Luck was on their side as it was her shift period, and someone they knew was there too.

"Look, Maman is here!"

"Huh? Where?"

"There, at the corner."

Shirazu followed the direction Saiko had pointed out and saw Sasaki was sitting at the corner of the shop, reading a book with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Oh? You're right. He's here."

"Look at him~" Saiko said with an excited, cheery voice.

"Yeah, I'm looking at him."

"Look properly, Shiragin. Look at his eyes and the book!" He adjusted the binoculars to zoom in further on the book, and his mouth gaped in shock.

"What the hell? The book is upside down! He's not even reading it!" A sound of giggling was heard beside him.

"I know, right? Now look at his eyes."

"He's... looking at the pretty barista?"

"Seems like it. Heh, Maman is so hopelessly in love. We need to help him."

"Yeah…" He couldn't help but crack a smile on his lips.

They observed every single interaction between the barista and each customer, but it seemed that none of them were special to her.

When Sasaki left, her eyes seemed sad and lingering at the spot she'd last seen him.

"I think she likes Maman too…"

"I agree…"

They continued to observe her, but there wasn't any other customer that could be considered as her boyfriend. But then again, it had only been an hour since they started to stalk her.

"Shiragin?"

"Hm?"

"I'm tired. This whole stalking thing makes me sleepy and hungry…"

"But it has only been an hour!"

Saiko moaned in disapproval, she wanted to give up and just sleep then play games all night.

"I don't care." She stood up from the bush they were hiding in. "I'm going to ask her if she's single." With that, she stormed off into the shop, leaving Shirazu behind.

"Wait, Saiko!"

"Welcome to :Re~" The pretty barista greeted Saiko who walked past all the empty tables to make her way towards the clueless barista. The barista started to back away, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the sudden advance.

"Barista-chan, I want to ask a question."

"Y- Yes?"

"Are you single?"

The barista blinked her eyes. Whatever question she was expecting, she definitely wasn't expecting that.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you single, barista-chan?" Saiko's face was serious, and demanding.

"I- I am."

"Great!" She squealed. "Then, do you like Maman?"

"…Maman?"

"Our mentor. The super nice guy with black and white hair. He was here half an hour ago."

"Ah, him. Yes, I like him. He's a nice customer."

The smile on Saiko's face fell, and it was replaced with a solemn expression instead.

"…Oh. I see. Let's get going, Shiragin."

"Huh? Why?" He asked. Even the barista seemed confused.

"You're not staying for the coffee?" She asked, but Saiko just shook her head.

"Perhaps next time." She turned on her heels and left the shop, Shirazu followed her from behind after bowing slightly to the barista.

"Why did you suddenly leave?"

"We need to take things slowly…"

"Said someone who just barged in and asked if she's single. I can't believe you, Saiko. Are you really an expert in this matter? You're going to get us banned from coming into the shop!"

He kept on complaining on and on but Saiko just remained quiet. She was in deep concentration, calculating countless possibilities inside her head.

"Oi NEET, say something."

"I was just thinking… Hey Shiragin, have you ever heard of the term friendzoned?"

He seemed confused, but answered anyway.

"It's when a guy confessed to a girl but the girl views him as a friend and not more than that?"

"Yeah… Maman's situation is even worse than being friendzoned… he just got customerzoned."


	3. Day 2

I'm sorry, I kind of lost the inspiration to write these days. I was giving up, planning to leave my fics as they are. But I couldn't ignore the guilt I felt in my heart for not finishing what I've started. So I'll try my best to finish them, but the quality may drop because I'm tired of writing and trying to make everything so perfect (even when they're not). I'm sorry.

Well then, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Mutsuki was lying on the cold, hard floor – panting heavily from the beating he'd received from the former squad leader. They had been practising since early in the morning, it had been almost two hours yet there was no progression _at all_.

Perhaps, he could never use his kagune for the rest of his life-

"Get up. We're not nearly done yet." There was no hint of sympathy in Urie's cold voice.

"Urie-kun. I can't-" A foot stomped on his stomach making him cough up blood. Then, he was kicked, sending him flying and crashing into the wall.

"Look at you. You're being beaten so badly yet you're still not letting your kagune out? How pathetic." _'Stop wasting my precious time, useless Rank 3 Mutsuki.'_

"It's not that I don't want to… I just _can't._ " Mutsuki groaned and sluggishly stood to his feet while gripping his stomach. He must've had some broken ribs, he could feel it.

"Then, I'll continue beating you up." _'Don't blame me if you die.'_

Urie was merciless. He didn't beat Mutsuki using his bare fists, but he used his kagune and his weapon – rendering the poor guy helpless. More of his bones were broken, more blood gushed out of his mouth, his skin. It was getting hard to breathe, and his vision was starting to fail him.

Eventually, the training clothes became tattered, dirty, and damp with sweat _and_ blood. To embarrass Mutsuki more, Urie slashed the clothes, intending to mock his scrawny body but the sight shocked him greatly.

"You're a… _girl_?"

* * *

Sasaki spent his Sunday afternoon in :Re, as usual. Sipping his Americano while staring at the beautiful barista all day long behind any book that had an interesting summary. He didn't know why, but he was extremely attracted to her. Her coffee was not just tasty, but it felt like… _home_. It felt terribly like home that he ended up shedding tears the first time he sipped it.

But looking at her taking orders, making coffee and being a cashier was his most favourite thing to do. Even the book that he had picked up earlier wasn't that interesting anymore.

"The coffee here is good, huh?" A familiar voice behind him asked. Sasaki, too lost in a daze – just nodded.

"Even the waitress is very beautiful, huh?" He nodded again.

"Don't you wanna ask her out?" Another nod. Then, a gasp. He jumped from his seat only to find Shirazu and Saiko were standing behind him.

"What are you guys doing here?!"

Instead of answering him, they flashed him a mischievous grin, making his forehead beaded with sweat as he nervously gulped.

"You said you want to ask her out. Come on. What are you waiting for, Sassan?"

"I- I didn't!"

"Stop lying… you nodded just now." Saiko crossed her arms as she rolled her eyes. Maman is so hopeless, she thought.

"That was- just- an impulse. I- I don't even know her name!" He exclaimed.

"Not a problem, Maman. Let me handle that for you. For now, you just need to sit down and relax." She shoved him back into his seat, making him even more confused with their behaviours.

Despite his protest, all of them eventually sat down. Saiko sat across Sasaki while Shirazu sat beside her.

When the pretty barista went to their table to take an order, Saiko made her move.

"So, your order is one espresso and one cappuccino… anything else?"

"Yes. We want one more thing."

"And that is...?"

"Your name."

The barista blinked. "…Excuse me?"

Sasaki hid his face behind a book, his cheeks flushed hotly even though it was Saiko who asked the question.

"We want to know your name, barista-chan." The NEET flashed her the most innocent smile ever – just like how the main character's love interest in her games would smile.

"Oh. It's Touka. Kirishima Touka."

"What a beautiful name, Touka-chan!" Sasaki stared at Saiko quizzically. _'Touka-chan?'_

"I'm Saiko. This is Shirazu, and this hardworking, handsome, and husband-material man is our squad's mentor, Sasaki Haise."

Sasaki blushed even more hearing Saiko's compliments, but after building up his courage, he stood up.

But his chair fell backwards with a thud because he stood up so abruptly. Everyone in the shop was staring at him, and he apologised while he hauled the chair back to its original position.

' _Ahhhh that was so embarrassing!'_ His thoughts screamed in his head. But the barista just chuckled. Her sweet voice made him forget about his foolish action earlier – and it calmed down the thoughts in his mind.

"I'm Sasaki Haise! N-Nice to meet you, Kirishima-san!" He bowed.

"You can call me Touka-chan like Saiko did, that's fine with me." She smiled. Saiko swore Sasaki's whole face was turning as red as tomatoes.

"Then- you can call me Haise."

"Nice to meet you, Haise." She was still smiling, so he smiled back, albeit sheepishly.

It was somewhat an awkward moment between them, and Saiko wanted to spice things up just like one of the games she had played before.

Since they were standing in front of each other, a sense of mischievousness washed over her as an idea crossed her mind.

Using her foot, she lightly nudged the back of Touka's knee so that she would stumble, but because Sasaki had a quick reflex being a CCG investigator, he quickly caught her in his arms.

Her warmth, her soft skin, and her hot breath near his neck were enough to render him motionless.

"I'm sorry, Haise." Touka said as she pulled away, straightening her uniform. She frowned at Saiko but the girl just whistled while looking at anywhere but her, pretending to be innocent.

She sighed before leaving the table to take a new order from another customer.

"Oi, Saiko. What have you done?"

"Sometimes, all they need is a little push, Shiragin."

"That wasn't a _little_ push, you idiot! Look at Sassan! He's not moving at all now!"

Saiko glanced at Sasaki. He was still standing in the same position when he caught Touka in his arms. Perhaps, having her in his arms was too much for him considering their awfully slow progression.

But she couldn't deny that this was funny. Quickly, she took out her phone and snapped a photo of him.

"Do you know what's the perfect caption for this picture, Shiragin?"

"No. What is it?"

"Sasaki dot exe has stopped responding."

* * *

P/s: every time I tried to write the correct word of dot (period), fanfiction would leave it as blank. Sorry. Blame FF dot net lol


	4. Day 3

Mutsuki will be addressed as 'she' from now on.

* * *

Sasaki wouldn't dare to visit :Re, not after what had happened yesterday. He spent his free time in his office trying to wipe away the memories of how foolish he was. Firstly, he made the chair fell. Secondly, he froze for a minute after he caught the beautiful barista in his arms.

Kirishima Touka... what a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.

Somehow, it felt as if his squad was trying to set him up with her. But that seemed too good to be true. A girl as beautiful as her should have a boyfriend already. Even if she's single, it would be impossible for her to return his feelings.

He... wasn't normal. He wouldn't consider himself as human. As much as he wanted to get to know her better, he wouldn't dare to. What would she say when she saw the monster within him? What would she say if she knew about his real identity? No, he couldn't bring himself to tell her, or even to let her know.

For him, even admiring her from afar was enough to brighten up his day.

* * *

Urie Kuki was restless.

Mutsuki had been avoiding him. Or, _he_ was avoiding him- her, he was confused about which gender he should use from now on.

Why?

Why was Mutsuki Tooru hiding her gender? Urie wasn't the probing type, she must've had her reasons. But the avoidance should be stopped soon, since they were living under the same roof after all.

But then again, he wondered how it would turn out if he told the truth to the higher-ups? Perhaps Mutsuki will be expelled?

He smirked. _'One less obstacle then.'_

"Rank 3 Mutsuki." He greeted her in the pantry that morning – and she shuddered. She wasn't expecting him to find her there.

"Urie-kun…"

"You've been avoiding me." _'Not that I care, but-'_

"I'm sorry."

'…'

There was an awkward silence between them as she stirred her brewing coffee. Then, she placed the sugar canister into the cabinet before she spoke again.

"About yesterday… Could you please not tell anyone else?"

' _Too bad. I'm telling Special Class Washuu.'_ "Okay."

Her head jerked up – she clearly wasn't expecting that answer. It felt as though a heavy weight lift off her shoulders as she stared at him.

"T-Thank you." She smiled in gratitude.

* * *

"Uri-kun~ Tooru~ Look at this~" Shirazu showed the picture that Saiko snapped yesterday to the opposing team as they were having their lunch together in CCG cafeteria.

"What is this?" _'Rank 1 Sasaki looks like an idiot here.'_

"Sassan's reaction when he held Touka-chan in his arms." Saiko quickly hugged Shirazu and he hugged her back, trying to re-enact the scene to show Urie and Mutsuki what had happened.

"Touka-chan?"

"The barista's name. We're winning, Uri." Saiko squealed.

Urie sighed. His promotion worth a lot more than this stupid betting.

"Whatever. I don't care anymore-"

"Urie-kun. Let's do something about this." Mutsuki cut him off abruptly, so he frowned at her. The younger female looked restless, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.

 _Oh_. It was obvious now.

He used to think that Mutsuki adores Sasaki. But after finding out her real gender, he could easily deduce the reason behind her longing stares during their weekly meeting or the apparent blush whenever Sasaki was praising her.

' _Rank 3 Mutsuki is in love with Rank 1 Sasaki. How adorable.'_

"Don't celebrate too early, Rank 3 Shirazu. We can still win this." His lips curled up in a smirk.

* * *

Being a barista for years, Kirishima Touka had her predictions of what would happen in her shop every now and then.

Sometimes, the customers fought with each other.

Sometimes, careless kids spilt their drinks.

Sometimes, she received scribbles of phone numbers from the customers asking her to call them – which she threw the paper away.

Sometimes, a certain sesame-pudding haired idiot stole a glance at her from behind his book. Well, not sometimes, but most of the time.

But she never expected the idiot's mentees would barge into the shop and interrogated her like a criminal.

They were fast. She didn't even have the chance to welcome them or ask them to have a seat.

"What's your relationship with Sasaki Haise?" The male with two moles under his left eye asked.

"…Excuse me?" _'Do they know?'_

If they knew that Sasaki and her were once friends, then they might know about her real identity.

She glanced at her surroundings. There weren't a lot of customers today.

' _Should I prepare for battle?'_

"Urie-kun, you're scaring her." The shorter half-ghoul interjected. "It's Touka-san, right?"

"You can call me Touka-chan like the others did, I don't mind."

"Well then, Touka-chan, Sasaki-sensei is… He's not normal. He's-"

"He's a freak. It would be best if you stay away from him. He might hurt you in more ways than you could ever imagine." Urie said with a straight face.

Touka rose her brow in confusion.

From the way Saiko pushed the back of her knee yesterday, it seemed as if she was trying to set her up with Sasaki.

But today, this Urie guy with his friend seemed to disapprove her friendship with Sasaki.

Well, at least they haven't found out about her identity.

"Thanks for the heads up. I'll be careful around him then." She smiled politely despite not buying any of their words.

* * *

"You like Rank 1 Sasaki." Urie said while Mutsuki and him were walking back to the chateau. It sounded more like a statement instead of a confirmation question.

Mutsuki stared at him blankly. It was obvious now after he knew her identity, wasn't it?

"I don't just like him. I _love_ him." Urie's eyes widened slightly. It was even more serious than he initially thought.

"That's why you're in my team." _'For this stupid betting.'_

"Yes… If we can stop them from going out with each other, I'll have a higher chance of getting Sensei to return my feelings."

' _What the hell. You're delusional.'_ "You _do_ realise that he likes her."

"I do." She expressed a sad smile. "But we can still stop them. Don't you want to win the money?"

"Well, I don't think Rank 1 Sasaki has the guts to ask her out. We shouldn't do anything-"

"Yes, we should! Shirazu-kun and Saiko-chan are planning something, I can feel it."

' _Jeez… why are you so annoying?'_ "In the end, it depends on him."

"You're not helping me-" She paused, frozen as someone with black sclera was in front of them, smiling creepily from ear to ear.

A ghoul was approaching them.

"You guys smell delicious… What _are_ you?" The ghoul asked, he looked pretty strong – tall and burly. His wings spread out so lovely, yet it managed to terrify Mutsuki.

An ukaku.

"Stay back. I can handle this." _'This isn't enough to get promoted, but at least I'll be doing the whole job and take all the credit.'_

But Urie was wrong.

A few minutes later, he was badly injured by the male ghoul. On top of that, he couldn't move at all. His kagune wasn't responding, and his sight was starting to fail him.

' _Shit shit shit shit shit! Move, kagune!'_

"Urie-kun!"

Projectiles of ukaku shards flew at a fast speed incoming towards him.

' _Fuck. I'm gonna die. Why? I'm strong. Stronger than this useless girl. Why am I dying first..? This is… not fair…'_

He closed his eyes, preparing for those hardened crystals to hit him, but none came. Only a glimpse of a person could be seen in front of him with his squinted eyes.

A person with... kagune.

It was Mutsuki.

After so long, she could finally let her kagune out.

Somehow, she managed to cut off the ghoul's arm and leg. The ukaku ghoul retreated immediately.

"Urie-kun. Are you alright? You need to be treated!"

"…hateyou." He mumbled, lying in a foetal position on the cold alleyway.

"…What?"

"I hate everyone! Sasaki, Shirazu, you! You're annoying. Acting so kindly towards us, saving my life. I'm planning to tell Special Class Washuu about you so that I have one less competitor to get promoted. Die, Mutsuki. Get out of my sight."

Mutsuki's eyes widened, she was taken aback at hearing the harsh words that came out of his mouth. Yet she didn't feel angry or resentful towards him, she wasn't sure why.

"Urie-kun."

"This is not fair." He covered his face with his hands, remembering Kuroiwa Takeomi – his rival who didn't have to try hard yet people still looked up to him. Life just wasn't being fair to Urie Kuki.

"I'm trying… so hard."

This was her first time seeing Urie _so_ vulnerable. He was known for his expressionless face – turned out it was just a façade to mask the ugliness and frailty inside him. In this rare moment, she could see the real Urie Kuki.

She understood him. For she was hiding behind a mask too this whole time. Moreover, she was trying so hard to be useful to her teammates, but her weakness prevented her from doing so. Not having anyone to share your feelings or vulnerabilities with, it was hard.

It was… lonely.

Her kagune wrapped around Urie in an embrace before she pulled him tighter towards her. Hoping her warmth could offer some sort of comfort to him, even a little.

"It's lonely being all alone, isn't it?" She hugged him tighter, letting him know that he was not alone. He could share his feelings with her, if he wanted to.

If he didn't want to, then at least he knew that she would be there for him.

They were family, after all.

"Mutsuki…"

Reluctantly, he returned her embrace, burying his face in her shoulder.

' _This is pathetic… this useless idiot is comforting me… but… why does it feel so warm?'_

Urie's heart slowly changed from that day onwards.

* * *

That night, Sasaki went for a walk to calm himself. He didn't care where his feet were bringing him, he just walked aimlessly – still trying to forget the embarrassment that he felt yesterday.

Was it instinct? Or longing? His feet brought him to the familiar shop, his tongue wanting to taste his daily dose of delicious coffee, and his eyes were screaming for the sight of the pretty barista again.

He sighed heavily realising that he was hopelessly infatuated with her. How long had it been since he first discovered this shop – discovered the girl who managed to capture his heart? Was it a month ago?

Before he could even enter the shop, suddenly the 'OPEN' sign changed to 'CLOSED', and there she was – Kirishima Touka – on the other side of the glass door.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her.

She wore a long blue dress with a thin silver belt to accentuate her curves. The makeup on her face was noticeable, it emphasized her violet eyes and her succulent lips.

If she was already beautiful in his eyes before this – tonight, she looked like a graceful queen.

He couldn't help but wonder if she was a queen in her past life.

"…Haise." She said once she stepped out and locked the door.

"I guess it's closed? Sorry, I came too late." He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit nervous all of a sudden.

"No, no. We have to close early tonight… I have – plans."

With the way she dressed, it was obvious. But what's the occasion?

"I- I see-"

The sudden sound of footsteps made him turn his head towards the source.

The streetlights nearby them combining with the glistening moonlight were bright enough for Sasaki to examine the approaching person.

He was a _very_ handsome guy. He had navy hair, leather jacket with boots and he seemed to be emanating a cool aura around him.

The handsome male spotted Sasaki but didn't say anything. His expression, however, appeared somewhat hostile.

"Ayato. You're here."

"Let's go."

It didn't take long for Sasaki to process what was going on.

Touka said she had plans, and this _Ayato_ guy said 'let's go' which could only lead to a single conclusion.

She had plans with this handsome guy. In _that_ dress. With _that_ stunning makeup.

His heart sank deep into his chest, he was already expecting her to have a boyfriend, but confirming his prediction right before his very eyes felt awful. Devastating even.

He must've have looked like an idiot in her eyes this whole time.

Even now.

"I- I better get going. I don't want to bother you guys."

"Haise…"

"Have fun, Touka-chan."

With that, he ran off.

He didn't know why, but he ran as fast as he could.

He heard her voice calling his name, but he didn't turn around.

No.

He couldn't.

The ache in his heart was too much for him to bear at the moment.


	5. Day 4

LMAO I've been inactive for almost a year and I'm SO SORRY! Updates will be super slowwwwww but at least I'm still updating (hopefully).

* * *

"Shiragin! I finally got them!" Saiko shouted as she dragged Shirazu into a meeting room and shoved six amusement park tickets onto the table. She sat across him, a triumph smile plastered on her face as she eyed his reaction. He looked surprised, but excited nonetheless. He really wanted to win this bet.

"Great job, Saiko! Come on, let's ask Touka-chan!" He stood up, getting ready to leave but Saiko grabbed his arm.

"Idiot! It would be too weird if we suddenly ask her."

"Huh? What's wrong with that?" He stared at her quizzically.

"The friendship level is still low – it's not strong enough. We need to gain more plus points on the friendship level in order for her to accept our offer. If we ask her now, she'll be too suspicious and might end up declining our _gracious_ offer."

Shirazu could not think of any response. He had never played this kind of game before, so he was pretty much clueless.

"Let's add some points to increase our friendship level with Touka-chan."

"How?"

Saiko smiled mischievously while wiggling her eyebrows. "Mucchan's birthday is in two days, right?"

Shirazu looked at the flip calendar on his desk. Indeed, Saiko was right.

"Yeah, so?"

"Let's celebrate it at :Re."

His eyes lit up at her suggestion.

"What a brilliant idea! We could certainly do that!"

"Yes… here's my plan to make Touka-chan fall in love with Maman…"

She leaned in, whispering some words with a big grin on her face. Shirazu was clearly impressed with her strategy.

"You're a genius, Saiko!" He said once they have outlined the plan.

"Ohohohoho! Thanks to my otome games! Leave it to me, Shiragin!"

* * *

"Maman. It's 5 PM. Let's go to :Re." Saiko and Shirazu entered their mentor's office room as soon as they were allowed to leave their office. Usually, Sasaki would blush then pack his stuff, but today he had a sad expression on his handsome face.

"You guys can go ahead. I'm not going there today." He said, his gaze was fixated on the document in his hands.

Saiko and Shirazu looked at each other. This was odd.

"What happened, Maman?" Saiko slowly approached her mentor.

"Nothing. I just don't feel like it."

"Is it because of Touka-chan?"

He flinched before his expression saddened even further. "No, it's not because of her."

' _It's so obvious…'_ They thought in unison.

"What happened?"

" _Handsome Ayato_ is what happened." He mumbled _very quietly_ , the Quinx squad members couldn't have picked that up if they weren't half-ghouls.

'Who the hell is Ayato?' Saiko mouthed to Shirazu but he just shrugged. 'I don't know.' his expression said.

Sighing heavily, she sat across him and folded her arms.

"She's single, Maman. I asked her a few days ago."

"Yeah, I was there too." Shirazu added.

Sasaki stopped looking at the documents and looked up, his focus was directed towards their conversation now.

"Well, that's not true. She has a boyfriend."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I saw it with my own eyes." He answered while leaning back in his black chair. His fingers rubbing his tired eyes.

"Did she say it was her boyfriend?" He stopped rubbing them abruptly.

"She didn't, but-"

"Then it's not her boyfriend."

"Why don't you guys believe me?"

"Because we don't."

"You want to know the truth, right Maman? Come with us." Saiko pulled his arm, forcing him to stand up. Shirazu joined her and pulled Sasaki's other arm.

"H-Hey! Where are you bringing me?"

"To see your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Sasaki blushed. Despite his initial objection, he actually let them do as they pleased and followed them to :Re.

He had decided to confirm his speculation. If Ayato was indeed her boyfriend, then he would forget his feelings towards her for good and move on.

* * *

But Sasaki actually wasn't as brave as he thought he was. Once arrived at the shop, he remained rigid, just sitting and not looking at the pretty barista at all as she was taking their orders.

"How about you, Haise? Americano, as usual?" Their gaze met – and it annoyed him that she acted as if nothing happened last night.

Well, it was true that nothing happened from her perspective. But from _his_ perspective, he felt deeply hurt. It was his first heartbroken as Haise and it was not a pleasant feeling. He felt defeated, crushed, lost, lifeless, even.

Before he could nod, Saiko interrupted them.

"Touka-chan! Can we celebrate someone's birthday here in two days? Pretty please?"

Huh? Birthday? Sasaki stared at them curiously, but they ignored him. So he stared at his beautiful crush, she seemed confused as well but after giving it a thought, she agreed.

"Yeah, sure. I can reserve the whole place for you. Haise's a regular here, after all. Consider this as a special treat from us."

"Woohoo!" Shirazu cheered, Saiko beamed.

 _What?_

"We need to have a big cake!"

"And snacks. And drinks. Balloons. Hats. Let's go shopping tomorrow. CCG gives us days off anyway."

"Touka-chan, please come shopping with us." Saiko pleaded. Of course Touka said yes, she knew which item she already had in her shop, and which item requires shopping, after all.

"I will." She smiled warmly and suddenly an ugly twinge of jealousy prickled Sasaki.

"Why don't you guys leave Touka-chan alone? She might already have plans with her boyfriend, you know."

He only realized what he was saying until he had blurted it out. But it was too late for him to take it back.

"My boyfriend? Did you mean the guy you saw last night?" She giggled.

It wasn't long before Shirazu and Saiko laughed too, what a way to ruin the perfect sound.

"That's my brother." She answered between the giggle.

"Your… brother?" Sasaki's eyes blinked in confusion.

"Yeah. He's two years younger than me. It's strange, though. Usually, when someone saw us, they would know immediately that we're siblings because of our resemblance to each other."

"Someone was jealous…" Shirazu whispered loudly to Saiko, intending to let both Sasaki and Touka hear.

"I wasn't jealous!"

"Whatever, Sassan~"

"Then, let's meet at Daiso tomorrow afternoon?" Touka suggested, and the squad agreed in unison.

"Mission accomplished." Shirazu whispered to Saiko, he felt really satisfied with how things were turning out.

"Not quite yet. But we're getting there." She flashed him a knowing grin.


End file.
